Air cleaner



Sept. 20, 1949. A. J. MCALLISTE ET AL 2,482,579

AIR CLEANER Filed June 20, 1947 Patented Sept. 20, 1949 AIR CLEANER v,Alexander J. McAllister and'John J. Dreznens. Chicago,l Ill., asslgnorsto United Specialties Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Dela-Ware Application June zo, 1947, serial No. 755,968

2 Claims. (Cl. 18S- 47) This invention relates to an air cleaner and hasfor one object to provide a cleaner which may be arranged or adjustedfor washing after use without separating any of the parts and withoutdisassembling the cleaner.

Another object is toprovide'jan air cleaner including a mass of curledhair or equivalent material as a filtering medium, and to provide means'for compressing said vmaterial for use and for readily decompressing itfor washing without disassembly of the cleaner'or removal of any of itsparts.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specication andclaims. Y

Y The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken at lines 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view.

Like parts are indicated by like characters in the specification anddrawings.

The cleaner comprises a housing member I which is provided with a bottomwhich may be inclined as shown. An offset outlet opening is provided at2, and this member is conveniently made in tubular form as shown. Aslotted sleeve 3 is fixed to the tubular portion 2 by welding orotherwise, and a clamping member is positioned about the slotted portionof the sleeve 3. This clamping member is indicated at 4 in Figures 2 and3. A set screw 5 is used to tighten the clamping member.

The housing includes a generally cylindrical portion 6 which may beintegral with the bottom. The portion 6 is outwardly turned at 'I andinwardly turned at 8. Between the parts I and 8 is engaged a top orcover member 9. This member is provided with a plurality of perforationsI9.

Within the housing I and bounded by the portion 6 is a quantity ofcurled hair II. Curled hair or mechanically equivalent material is to beunderstood where the expression curled hair" is used, and the inventionis not strictly limited to the use of curled animal hair. A mixture ofmaterials, or any material generally the equivalent mechanically oicurled hair, may be used.

A perforated pressure plate I2 is provided within the housing I, 6. Thisplate may carry a peripheral flange I3. A depression I 4 is preferablyformed in it, and one or more stiffening grooves I5 may be formed in theplate I2 if desired.

A compression screw I6 is seated for rotation in a nut or other threadedmember I'I whichis secured in relation to the bottom of the housing I.The head I8 ofthe screw extends outside of the housing forconvenientuse. The screw, if desired, may be enlarged at the oppositeend at I9. The end of theV screw, whether enlarged or not, contacts theportion I4 of the pressure plate I2. By adjustment` ofthe screw I6, thedegree of compression upon the curled hair or other material which ispositioned between the top plate 9 and the` pressurev plate -I2 may bevaried for adjustment, or the ypressure may be released or substantiallyreduced for washing.r

Although we have shown anfoperative form of ourinVentiOn, it will ,berecognized'that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of partscan be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and ourshowing is therefore to be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows:

The device of the present invention is associated with means for usingor otherwise dealing with air. One such means is an internal combustionengine. Ordinarily the cleaner is positioned to receive air through theplate 9 and to discharge it through the member 2 and the slotted sleeve3. It may be positioned on the upstream side-of a carburetor.

However the device is used or connected, it may be positioned in anyposition. The plate 9, which has been referred to as a top plate, neednot be positioned to face upwardly. When the device is used, air isdrawn through the perforations Ill and the plate 9, through the mass ofcurled hair II or equivalent material, and passes beyond the plate I2 tobe discharged through the members 2 and 3. As the air passes through thefilter mass, solid material is caught by the filtered mass, and thecleaned air passes from the cleaner.

In the course of time, and after considerable use, the filter mass IIwill have picked up a substantial quantity of foreign matter such asdust and other solid material which was present in the air as it enteredthe cleaner. It is important to be able to remove this material easily.It is done in the following manner: The screw IB is backed olf and thepressure on the lter mass is reduced. Curled hair or equivalent materialis springy, and when the compression upon the lter mass is reduced, itexpands substantially. It will expand as the screw is backed away, andin its expansion it will force the pressure plate I2 away from thelplate 9. When substantial expandesired degree of compression, whereuponthe cleaner is again ready for use.

The device thus comprises an efiicient dry air lter andv assembly andprovides within itself means for adjustment which permits eectivecleaning by water, air or other'fluid without the removal oi any partfrom the cleaner and without any adjustment except that which reducesthe pressure on the filter mass and permits it to expand sufficientlysothat effective washing or renovation of the lter mass can beaccomplished.

We claim:

1. In combination, in an air cleaner, a housing, an inlet memberpermanently xed in said housing, said member formed to provide inletopenings, an outlet passage from said housing, a filter mass of cuidadyhair positioned within said housing and in` contact with lsaid inletmember, and an airpervlous pressure member positioned permanently withinsaid housing, said, pressure member being in (mutantv with said ltermass and effective to hold'it in place, an adjustable means fordorcingsaid pressure member against said iilter mass to compress the same, saidadjustable means being also effective to free ,4 said pressure memberfor movement, away from said inlet member.

2. In combination, in an air cleaner, a housing, an inlet member fixedin said housing, said member formed to provide inlet openings, saidhousing being permanently crimped over said inlet member and securing itin permanent position, an outlet passage from said housing, a lter masspositioned within `said housing in the line of air entering said inletmember and in contact with said inlet member, and an air-perviouspressure member positioned within said housing in the line of airpassing through said cleaner, said pressure member being in contact withsaid iiltermass and effective to hold it in place, an

adjustable means'for forcing said pressure member against said lter massto compress the same, said adjustable means being also effective to freesaid pressure member for movement.

' ALEXANDER J. MCALLISTER.

JOHN J. DREZNES.

g REFERENCES CITED The following references .are of record in the

